Factory to build new homes is now open

A HOUSING association has officially taken the keys to their new factory where houses will be built on-site.

Swan Housing Association’s new factory, in Prologis Park, Basildon, will be used to build 500 new modular houses and create 40 new jobs in the borough.

The factory, which is part of Swan’s continued investment in the borough, is 47,850 sq ft and can see a house built from scratch in just six weeks.

There are thousands of different options that buyers can choose from, including window and door colours and the interior layouts.

John Synnuck, Swan’s chief executive, said: “At Swan we understand that the desperate need for quality new homes. We believe that offsite construction methods will enable us to deliver these much-needed homes quickly, designed to a high specification and with reduced impact on both residents and the environment.”

Initially, the factory will produce houses for Beechwood in Basildon as part of Swan’s £100million regeneration of the former 1960s Craylands estate, which it is delivering in partnership with Basildon Council and the Homes and Communities Agency.At full capacity, the factory can build 300 homes a year.

It is expected that construction of the modular housing will launch in early summer with the first homes delivered to Beechwood in the autumn.

Geoff Pearce, executive director of development and regeneration at Swan, said: “Swan is truly committed to delivering innovation. Offsite construction is commonly used overseas and the homes are indistinguishable from ones that are built using more traditional methods.

“We already have our own in-house construction team and so, as both the constructor and developer of the homes, we are perfectly placed to manage the process of building homes offsite efficiently and to the highest standards.”

The houses are built using Cross Laminated Timber which is a sustainable construction material as it can be recycled and utilises soft wood timber grown in managed forests

Phil Turner, leader of Basildon Council, said: “The development of this state-of-the-art factory is great news for the borough for so many reasons. Swan’s investment is creating dozens of jobs for our residents and will help ensure hundreds of high-quality homes are built across the Basildon borough.

“By working in partnership with Swan, we are already achieving great things, such as the regeneration of the Craylands estate.

“This factory demonstrates Swan’s long-term commitment to the borough and we look forward to continued partnership work in the future.”